Guidelines from scientific research

Your shopfront window display is your signboard: it needs to have stopping power and to convey the right message to your target audience. The shopping motivation of this one is an important factor in determining the appeal of the display used. Indeed, customers who shop purposefully are attracted to displays which focus on the product assortment and provide as much product information as possible. In turn, customers who shop in a more relaxed way are more easily attracted to creative and artistic displays which convey abstract messages triggering curiosity and a sense of exploration.

Consider the reuse of a building, when it matches your DNA, as an opportunity. Look at the heritage value as a useful addition to the store concept, not only with respect to the historic worth, but also in terms of irreplaceable cultural, social, ecological and economic values. As a retailer, you can offer the possibility of using the intangible, such as stories, atmosphere and associations linked to the building, as a distinctive strategy with a unique experience.

To offer customers a 24/7 store experience and an extensive product range, you can make use of interactive storefront window displays. For instance, via projections in the shop window you can add a digital context to the products (‘projection mapping’). You can also expand the storefront window display experience with videos, rotating virtual products and QR-codes that facilitate online purchasing.

An interesting way to draw the attention of passers-by with your storefront window display, is by creating a setting that focuses on one product lit by accent lighting and accompanied by only a few decorative items. In doing so, you put your product in an exclusive way and are able to differentiate yourself from other retailers.

In retail, as everywhere else, robots (such as interactive mannequins) are becoming more and more popular. By integrating these technological features in a storefront window display, you can draw the attention of passing customers and prolong the time a person spends looking at it. However, although customers generally appreciate this kind of interaction, it is almost impossible to influence the buying behaviour and the store image with it.

Storefront displays have a positive effect on the image of a store. Whether one uses simple flags or billboards to recommend a specific brand, or more innovative tools, such as changing screens or moving, air-filled figures, stores only see benefits when it comes to the use of displays. The more innovative the display, the more positive the effect on the customers.

When entering a store, it is important that the customer feels welcome. You contribute to the approachability and accessibility of a store by, for instance, replacing a doorstep by a ramp, installing automatic doors, placing anti-slip flooring or creating a wide entrance.